Chulla

On one of the trips to the bridge at Western Boulevard, to see the 'quart-to-three-er' - don't why we bothered because it was always a Jubilee seen before - the freight train that preceded it had a long, low-loader wagon upon which was a cab numbered 70000. This was some time after Britannia had been in service, so always wondered what its cab was doing away from the rest of it. Another memory was going to Midland Station to see the diesel 10800 arrive on a service - from London?

No, the answer is: He asks one of them (doesn't matter which): 'Which door would the other man say is the door to freedom?' Whatever the answer, he takes the opposite door to that stated.

Saturday mornings On Saturday morns a long time ago, with our thepenny-bit in hand, To the flicks we would go, like moths to a flame, so throughout in the land. Every week it was the same, a western, Disney's mice, To get you back the following week, a serial would entice. Bedlam reigned, no-one kept quiet, but heard above the din, Came six-gun shots, horses hooves and voices from within. For me it was the Vernon, and the Aspley I did attend it, For you, perhaps, the Metropole, the Forum or a fleapit. Every week it never changed

Yes, but then what?

#61 & 62 Hindley's Our great aunt Alice emigrated to America in 1923. She left behind her wind-up cylinder gramophone, which I now have. Note the small disc below the winding-handle. It says: A Hindley, 21 Clumber Street, Nottingham. It is in perfect condition and a joy to behold.

Here's an old puzzle - might still be some people around who have never heard it before. A man is held prisoner in a room. The room has two doors; one is the door to freedom, the other the door to death. Beside each door is a guardian, who knows which door goes where. One guardian only tells lies, the other only tells the truth - the man does not know which man is either. The man is allowed just one question to help him establish which is the door he should exit the room from to safety. He asks the question and on receiving the answer opens the door and steps out to freedom. What was the que

A magic moment was one Saturday afternoon, sitting on the fence beside the line going over Arnold Road. Slowly approaching up from the New Basford station direction was lone engine A3 Diamond Jubilee, resplendent from the workshops in Apple Green, black and red trim. I can only imagine that it was off Doncaster and was making a trial run, probably down to Grantham and then to Nottingham Victoria and then on to Sheffield. A youth who passed by a little later didn't believe me and got quite stroppy. He, he!, I saw it and he didn't! The only other time I saw a bright, shiny engine straight out

A couple of Grantham memories for Smithy49. I think it was 1951 when a pal and I went by train to Grantham. They would not let spotters stay on the platform, so we went through a tunnel under the lines to a field on the other side. Here we joined more spotters, making about ten or so in all. One of them had the bright idea of sneaking around the loco shed, and we followed him like sheep, not wanting him to see stuff that we couldn't. We never made it because we were intercepted by an official of some kind who then took all of our names, our parent's names, our addresses and where our dads wor

If it had wheels or wings I spotted it!

As mentioned earlier

I can only recall the fortifications on the Wallis Street side of the bridge. They consisted of a solid concrete block on both pavements - about six-feet cube as I remember. Up against them were a number of concrete 'drums'. Imagine concrete after being poured into a dustbin and you will get some idea of the size. Now that Benjamin mentions the road actually being blocked to traffic, I remember that also, but that was not what I have described above. I believe the road was blocked to traffic because its strength was not suitable.

Why is it that hippo girl's message, reproduced above, is nowhere to be seen on my computer? Carni has it and has told me where to look, but it isn't there. What else might I not be seeing? Anyone else having this kind of problem. In the case of messages regarding meetings, there should be a dedicated topic title that is only used to inform of meetings proposed or actual.

Past memories of local railways is a popular thread, so perhaps a new thread devoted to trainspotting memories might be a good idea. As nostalgic moments go nothing does it more for me than recalling the smell of soot and steam, the excitement of seeing a 'namer' approaching, and the marking off of the engines seen, in my Ian Allan stock book. My trainspotting commenced in the late 1940s, observing from Dobbie Bridge on Park Lane, Old Basford (drove over it yesterday). At that time the bridge still had its wartime anti-invasion fortifications in place. The bridge over Cinder Hill Road was th

Jermy and Westerman. I went in there some years ago and bought Funk and Wagnalls The New Standard Dictionary of the English Language. It is an encyclopaedic dictionary in two volumes, published in 1946. Each volume has 3000 pages and each volume weighs nine-and-a-half pounds. They have beautiful colour plates with tissue protection. Whoever originally purchased them must have put them on a shelf and forgot about them because they are in mint condition, and so are the dust jackets. Cost me ten pounds, easily my best book buy. The Oxfam bookshop on Market Street is worth a visit.

Just picked up on this thread since my #276 posting. I found it comforting to hear of other people's experiences, particularly about Lizzie's husband. As I feel no different now health-wise to what I have always felt, my PC condition does not bother me, in fact I hardly ever think about it. Nevertheless it is good to share experiences. If one's psychology has anything to do with how one feels then I will live to be 100!

As annoying as our TV adverts are, they are not as bad as those in America - 90% of which appear top be for food that does you no good. Watched a film there once. The opening credits rolled and then faded into what did not look like what I was expecting to see. It was the first of the many commercial breaks. Over there they do not give warning of a commercial break - just a straight break into the ad - or when the break has ended. As for my favourite ad - the one showing dad in the 1950s walking home at night in a street lit by shop lights, and children singing the Ovaltini Song. Just oozes n

Teebee. Feel free to use the info about Rise Park property prices. I got the brochure from the builders in February 1971. We moved into the bungalow on the corner of Portree Drive and Bernisdale Close in September 1972. Ornsay Close was the last part to be completed, in 1973 or 1974.

Calling Banjo. How about you tell us the evening you would like to meet up with us when you are in Nottingham. Note that Melissa can't make 1st and 7th of October. We will stick with the Roebuck on St James' Street.

While we are on the subject of men's round things (they are oval, in fact), and straying slightly away from the topic, I am reminded of a story told to me years ago by a chap I worked with. He had a friend who was getting dressed in his bedroom and sans trousers sat on the bed. The mattress was not on the bed and he sat on the cross-wired bed frame. As he did so his weight pressed down and expanded the segments. His round things dropped through the segments. When he stood up the segments retracted to their original size and....

Hey, katyjay and carni; if you liked my #26 why didn't you give it a Like? (I'm collecting them!) 4th line is Oh ar (Oh yes). The riddle is not my doing - I remembered it from years ago. Spiders are wonderful insects. No-one teaches them how to construct a web, and yet it is so precise. I once watched one doing so and it was wonderful. As it travelled along one of its lines it held the silk high with one of its legs so as not to touch existing lines and then dabbed it down on one of the radials. The spacing was extremely precise.

When I started going out with the wife, I met her off the Sherwood bus that terminated outside of Lyons. First time, she said 'I'll meet you outside Lyons'. I waited alongside one of the lions outside the Council House and wondered why she didn't turn up!

Totally agree with Smiffy49 about the scene from Rebecca - easily Hitchcock's greatest film. The visuals as the famous prologue is being recited just after the opening credits is one of the greatest opening scenes in film history. I am not too keen on violence being portrayed on the screen, but there is a film which, for me, has another one of the greatest opening scenes. THE LETTER [1940] director William Wyler. The scene is set in the Malayan jungle at night in bright moonlight. The camera slowly pans across the trees revealing the coolies asleep, birds roosting in the trees, and then sh

#1. Reference the photographs of the construction of the Great Central line held at the Leicester Archive, picture L2780 shows the Bulwell viaduct nearing completion, looking south. What is the large building seen on the left of the image?

I've had enough of this thread already. I wish I had never started it.